After the heartache of her cancelled wedding with Marty Pask, a new-look Leisel Jones is on a journey of self-discovery away from the pool, writes Rose Fydler.
If it’s a woman’s right to change her hairstyle after a romantic break-up, then recent singleton Leisel Jones – a platinum blonde turned sultry brunette – has clearly taken that prerogative to heart.
“Even I still get a surprise when I look in the mirror,” she admits, twirling a chocolate brown strand around her finger as she gazes at her reflection. It’s a mesmerising transformation. Framed by darker hair, Leisel’s eyes somehow seem a deeper blue, her cheekbones higher, her complexion lifted to a creamier tone.
“I love my new look,” she says. “My hairdresser told me. ‘No! Don’t do it!’, but I knew it was just the drastic change I needed. People seem to be looking at me differently – and this is the best I’ve ever felt inside my own skin.”
Hearing Leisel’s serene and positive admission, and watching her chat warmly to the crew in the studio before confidently looking down the lens for the photographer, you’d never guess the 23-year-old has only just emerged from the most painful time of her young life.
Last November, on the eve of her wedding to former AFL player Marty Pask, 24, Leisel moved out of the couple’s Melbourne home, as a joint statement announced they were “not ready for the commitment of marriage”.
With the shock of the broken engagement coming hot on the heels of Leisel’s stellar performances in the pool at the Beijing Olympics – where she had lovingly credited Marty with helping her achieve her dream of winning an individual gold medal in the 100m breaststroke – mystery surrounded their sudden split. Was there a third party involved?
Did an argument at the Olympics cause the bust-up? Was it Leisel who called time on their high-profile relationship?
To read the rest of Why we called off our wedding pick up a copy of our May issue — out now!
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